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Geography. Found in almost all parts of the world, except upon the 
verge of the frozen zone, and in climates remarkable for dryness. In Europe, 
Asia, and North America, they are seen growing every where, in groves, in 
marshes, and in meadows ; in the drier parts of Africa they are either rare or 
unknown ; at the Cape of Good Hope they abound in similar situations as 
in Europe ; but in the hot damp parts of the West and East Indies, in Mada- 
gascar, and the neighbouring islands, in the damp and humid forests of Brazil, 
in the warm mild parts of Central America, and Western Mexico, in the 
damp tropical parts of India, and on the lower mountains of Nipal, these 
Orchideous plants flourish in the greatest variety and profusion, no longer seek- 
ing their nutriment from the soil, but clinging to the trunks and limbs of 
trees, to stones and bare rocks, where they vegetate among ferns and other 
shade-loving plants, in countless thousands. Of the epiphytic class, one only 
is found so far north as South Carolina, growing upon the branches of the 
Magnolia, if we except' the species from Japan, which, as I have elsewhere 
stated, appears to have a climate peculiar to itself, among countries in the 
same parallel of latitude. The most southern stations are those of Earina mu- 
cronata in New Zealand, in lat. 3.5 S., and of Gunnia australis in Emu Bay, 
Van Diemen’s Land, lat. 41° S. See Botan. llegistej', 1699. The number 
of species of this tribe is unknown, but probably is not less than 1500. 
Properties. It often happens that those productions of nature which 
charm the eye with their beauty, and delight the senses with their perfume, 
have the least relation to the wants of mankind, while the most powerful vir- 
tues or most deadly poisons are hidden beneath a mean and insignificant ex- 
terior : thus Orchidacese, beyond their beauty, can scarcely be said to be of 
known utility, with a few exceptions. The nutritive substance called Salep 
has been said to be prepared from the subterraneous succulent roots of Orchis 
mascula and others ; but it is now known from the enquiries of Royle, to be 
the produce of the tubers of a species of Eulophia ; it consists almost entirely 
of a chemical principle called Bassorin. Turner, 699. The root of Bletia ve- 
recunda is said to be stomachic. Lunan. Some of the South American spe- 
cies, such as the Catasetums, Cyrtopodiums, &c., contain a viscid juice, which, 
being inspissated by boiling, becomes a kind of vegetable glue used for econo- 
mical purposes in Brazil. 
GENERA. 
§ 1. Malaxide^e, 
Lindl. 
^ 1 . Pleurothallese, 
Lindl. 
Pleurothallis, R. Br. 
Cadetia, Gaudich. 
Specklinia, Lindl. 
Physosiphon, Lindl. 
Octomeria, R. Br. 
Bryobium, (.'ll) 
Lepanthes, Swartz. 
Stelis, Swartz. 
Osyricera, Blume. 
Chrysoglossum, Blum. 
Gastroglottis, Blume. 
Restrepia, Kunth. 
Oberonia, Lindl. 
Titania, Endl. 
Empusa, Lindl. 
Emptisaria, Rchb. 
Platystylis, Blume. Corallorhiza, Sw. 
Microstylis, Nutt. ^phyllorchis, Bl. 
Pterochilus, Hooker. Aplectrum, Nutt. 
Crepidium, Blume. 
Dienia, Lindl. 
Pedilea, Lindl. 
Malaxis, Swartz. 
Nephelaphyllum, 
Blume. 
Acianthus, R. Br. 
Cyrtosia, Blume. 
Liparis, Rich. 
Sturmia, Rchb. 
Cestichis, Thouars. 
Dendrochilum, Blume. 
Otochilus, Lindl. 
